Carol Lundin was unfazed by the cold rain on a school vacation day as she worked at White Farm this week.
She was perfectly happy to walk around the farm, which she sees as an opportunity for struggling Concord High School students.
She’s developed a program called Seeds 4 The Future that gets students out of the classroom and into greenhouses, outdoor gardens and the community at large while earning school credit.
“My whole experience is bringing students outside and doing something different – it’s much more productive for students that struggle,” Lundin said. “Sometimes it’s academics, sometimes it’s their lives and family history. They get an opportunity to struggle with something with their hands as well as their minds.”
She’s the program coordinator for the Concord Regional Diploma Academy, a credit make-up program. For students who don’t do well in a traditional academic setting – or for adults who want to earn their diploma – they can use the academy’s experiential and project-based learning programs like Seeds 4 The Future.
While Diploma Academy began in 2007, Lundin said it has become less traditional and more inquiry-driven over the years. As she spoke, she stood inside the passive solar geodesic grow dome on the White Farm property. Seeds 4 The Future bought the dome kit and began building last summer.
“We did our geometry,” Lundin said. In addition to construction, students were required to get building permits from the city. They also helped build a steam-heating system, in which the water basin will double as a place to practice aquaponics.
By mid-May, she added, plants should be growing there. This week, Lundin said, she and any students who chose to come would be putting in soil beds. It’s a vacation week, but Lundin and several other staff were happy to show up to work.
“I work a lot, but I love it,” she said.
Seeds 4 The Future offers programs during the summer, on Saturdays and during school vacations to allow students to continue their education. This often means Lundin works six days a week.
There’s a lot to do. Lundin has a big vision for White Farm and Seeds 4 The Future, including opening a community food market in the old goat barn, growing all of their own food, investigating and showcasing the farm’s history, and making White Farm a resource for Concord area residents and students.
“We want it to be sustainable,” Lundin said. “My passion is getting people involved.”
About 50 students use the Seeds 4 The Future program at White Farm. In addition to the community market, Lundin said a bike shop – part of a separate Diploma Academy program called Community Cycles – is in the works.
Marianne Hromis, who acts as a coach, mentor and integrated science teacher, said students “find it empowering because they come in and solve problems.”
The program also feeds its students as it teaches them how to grow food.
“Taking on food I think can be equalizing for folks,” Lundin said. “It can also be a very separating thing – if you’re poor or hungry, your life is very different. Here is a place we can work on that on a practical and useful level.”
Perhaps most importantly, Seeds 4 The Future has a regular presence at White Farm. On Tuesday, at least one student woke up early, got dressed and made the effort to continue his education.
Matt Norris, a 17-year-old senior and hockey player at Concord High, was the first to show up at White Farm just after 9 a.m. He’s been working with the Diploma Academy to make up for a chemistry credit.
While he had been completing regular coursework in the weeks prior, he made his first visit to the farm property Tuesday to use the open classroom. Any questions Norris had went to Frank Harrison, a high school teacher who also helps Seeds 4 The Future.
“It’s really helpful,” said Norris, pausing over his chemistry packet on atoms. With fewer distractions and more one-on-one time with his teacher, he added, “It’s a lot easier to get stuff done.”
Though he needs to just finish his six chemistry packets and pass a test to get the credit, Norris said now that he has been to White Farm, he would probably return.
“I would come here just in general to help if they needed help,” he said. “I think I’m coming back tomorrow, and I think I’ll continue to do it until I finish chemistry.”
Lundin said her goal is to create a place that people can return to and use as a springboard for successful, sustainable futures. Some Seeds 4 the Future students have gone on to apply for college, others work at farms and restaurants, and more continue to come back to visit White Farm.
“Whenever they show up, we welcome them,” she said. “It allows them to have a place they’re connected to for the rest of their lives.”